The Man with the Scar
by BryonyCurls
Summary: Jessica was shipwrecked onto Rook island when she was just six. Now curiosity has taken over; Dennis and Albeela warn her of the dangers outside Amanaki Town but can she resist the temptation of the stories about The Man with the Scar?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Dennis came in and sat at the foot of my bed. He put his hand on my leg; his dark skin a black canvas against my pale ankle. I could just make out his eyes as the candles in the room flickered, revealing a glistening in his glasses. I shuffled slightly to discover an agonizing pain in my knee. Dennis shushed me whilst he stretched and reached for the aloe leaf remedy beside me head.

"Why do you insist on playing out? Jessica, you should be helping Albeela prepare food and flowers. You're nearly 16". Albeela was a woman that was kind enough to offer me a bedroom in her place. She, along with the rest of the women in the Amanaki Town, raised children and stayed house bound. She looked after me, as did Dennis, and they were like parents to me.

Ever since I arrived here, I had always wanted to explore the island but Dennis warned me of a man with a scar, and this man's pirates. He roamed the jungle, calling it his own. He captured animals and people, what he would do with them I never found out. Albeela said he was insane, and what he did with women was unthinkable. But these cautions did not scare me; there was something out there I needed to discover.

"But I'm young to the island Den! You never told me what happened on the boat". Dennis set the bottle back on the pine table. My knee throbbed with each pulse but the sensation was bearable. I always got cuts and scratches where I had misjudged a jump or step; I'd tumble down through the bushed to the bottom of a hill where I lay dirty in the tracks. Dust would fly around once my body was still, quickly settling on my clothes.

"You never asked my dear". Dennis stood up at my feet.

"Well what did happen?" I had always thought I asked Den of my arrival, but obviously not. He scraped a wooden stool along the floor to further up the bed, and then sat on it hastily, making sure the legs did not give way.

"Can you remember anything about your mother?" Dennis asked. His entire face was lit now by the nearby candle. He hadn't shaved for a week now and his curly stubble had reached all corners of his face. I could now also make out his muddy eyes behind his smeared glasses; sharp boxed frames enlarging his eyes behind them.

"Unfortunately I can't. I bet she was really nice though, like you and Albeela".

"I'm sure she was!" Dennis smiled and took out his hand for mine to hold.

"I found you in the water amongst the wreckage of the boat," Dennis started. "I couldn't see any more live people and my deep sea dive serum was about to run out so you were the only person I could save," Dennis looked up and smiled. He then looked back at our hands and continued. "You were probably five or six when the boat crashed. I had to be careful getting you back to Amanaki, the pirates were out in their numbers." I had never come across anyone that had wanted to hurt me during my expeditions around the island. I'd never seen a pirate.

"What do they look like?" I asked.

"Have you not come across any? I thought the amount of times you'd been out that you ought to." Dennis looked into my eyes, his glasses on the end of his nose. I laughed and pushed them so that they sat correctly.

"Well if I had come across one, would I still be here?" I raised one eyebrow and smirked.

"Jessica, you shouldn't be joking like that. Pirates are foul-mouthed creatures that wear red clothing. I always told you to stay away from the smoke towers because they are in fact pirate camps". He paused slightly, but I twitched my hand to motion for him to carry on. "Pirates carry guns, and knives, and explosions. They own aggressive dogs and keep animals in cages". I was listening carefully to what he had to say. Then he simply said; "Stay away." These words hung in the air like a thick fog suffocating me, until Albeela walked in, letting cool air flush the mist away. She leant in through the doorway; the dusk sun instantly poured in and the entire hut was visible. Albeela smiled, her while T-shirt, hung over her chest, blowing slightly in the evening wind.

"Dinner is ready" she said, and then exited promptly, her long black hair swished with her motion and a little hair fell from the tight hair band she made. Dennis moved the stool to its original position and helped me up. I grabbed at my own home made band and roughly tied my golden curls up. I looked at Dennis' face; it was serious and in deep thought. I looked away and took steps on my newly treated knee. It felt back to normal so I ran out through the door to test its strength.

I turned around to see Dennis finally come through the door. Miya, another Amanaki woman that lived three doors down from us, was sat in front of a large pot above a fire. She called for Dennis and he quickly looked up and smiled, raising his hand to acknowledge her. She soon called my name and I mirror Dennis. I grabbed a bowl off of Albeela and sat on the log left of Miya and the pot, making conversation with the younger children.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I had finished my daily tasks with Albeela; I helped her clean, clothes and the hut, I also harvested some food and made a flower display to place in memory of the Rakyat. Albeela said that they protect us every day from the man with the scar and so we should be grateful. Once we finished cooking lunch, I ate it with Dennis, who said I should retrieve more green leaf. A young group of boys got into a fight and so they used the last of our medicine. Dennis was in a rush to go elsewhere that he gave me no curfew; he just wanted me home in one piece.

I followed a main track that wound around a hill, running alongside a river. If the sun was high and hot, I often sat looking into the river, throwing odd sticks and stones in. Today I was even more curious about the island and pirates so I skipped this. I passed abandoned huts along the road and looked inside them. I often found a container or two that had small items I could sell. I took a small road off to my left and discovered a car that had been flipped entirely on its head. I was shocked to see such a crash so near to Amanaki. As I passed it, I found a container; the ones I usually loot, lying beneath the boot. I opened it to find a poker chip and I put it in my rucksack. I had little room left. Dennis once showed me how he turned some animal skin into a bag, and so if I came across a boar I'd attempt to make a bigger one.

I made my way up the car to the bonnet. I let out a scream that echoed; birds flushed out of the trees. Sat up against the front of the car was a man covered in his own blood. His head hung to the side, his ear touching his shoulder. I looked down, away from the figure but couldn't help noticing that where I now stood bullet shells lay in the dirt. I recognised the blue cloth of the man's clothing; he was a Rakyat. No man would ever think of killing a warrior… unless he was a pirate.

I left the body alone; he should be left in peace. I couldn't tell anyone about this. Dennis would ban me from going out ever again. As I walked back to the main track I tried to forget the disaster I had just seen and focus on my task. I knew of a place not too far from there that grew green leaf and so I took off.

Before long, I could hear leaves rustling in the jungle to the left of me. I noticed there was no wind and pivoted on my heels to spin to face behind me. Dust grated beneath my feet and a cloud gathered around my shoes. I concentrated on the many sounds around me; the distant flow of water from the river, the birds singing from one to another and the rustling of leaves still on the left. I took out the knife Dennis had given to me. He told me to only use it when it was most necessary. I focused on the bush at the base of a tree. I knew that tigers and leopards roamed the jungle for my hut was carpeted with skins of these cats.

With my knife prepared, I stood still and silent. The creature that lurked moved suddenly to the side revealing an orange colour through the leaves. I lowered my body and stood my left leg over my right. I allowed my right leg to automatically follow and stood crouched. I moved my eyes from the floor to the bushes, making sure my breath wasn't too heavy. There I stayed, staring forward. Time passed slowly whilst I twisted the knife in my hand; the reflection of the sun danced around in the shrubs ahead.

The orange fur suddenly darted forward. It headed for the track I stood in. Panicked, I dropped the knife, now totally unarmed. Whilst I jumped back, my foot caught on a stone in the road and made me trip over. I lay defenceless on the ground. Through my eyelids I could see a shadow fall over me. I could hear my heartbeat face in my ears and I awaited my destiny. A distant growl made the shadow disappear. I sat up quickly seeing a deer run away from me. Its amber colour shone in different shades as it pranced away. I recklessly got to my feet and grabbed the knife from where I abandoned it. I sighed loudly and stayed in the middle of the road until I made it to the farm.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Green leaves are the most common leaf found on the island. I had already harvested 8; I skilled myself in picking 2 leaves per plant, a difficult task to do unless practised. The farm grew similar crops to the garden in Amanaki Town. They were located at the back, where the hill gradated steeper. Further forward was a small yard squared off with a fence made of different sized wooden posts and a barbed wire wrapped the plot into one. Enclosed within stood 3 boar, all making snuffling sounds into the dirt. Much closer now, at the front of the farm was a small shed. In it were a few containers. Their contents were minimal. My rucksack was now entirely full so I headed towards the yard. I stood at the edge; the boar cowered to one corner. I knew that if I took the life of one of these animals there would be a good reason for it.

I lifted one leg over the wire. My hip met with the top of one of the wooden posts. I was balanced on my tiptoes either side of the fence. I picked up my other leg and jumped slightly to get my balance. The boar ran at my sudden movement and surprised me. The animals ran into the fence, trying to escape. They took it down; posts crashed down with an echoing thud. The wire ripped at my trousers between my legs and through them to my skin beneath. I feel to the floor and felt pain radiate from my thigh. I moved my free hand towards the throbbing area and felt a viscous substance stick to my fingertips. I sat up and saw the crimson liquid on leg, pouring from a wound. I dug through my bag and took out a green leaf which I had already made into a remedy. I braced myself and quickly stabbed the long needle into my arm and pressed the plunger down. A sense of tranquillity took over me and I felt no more pain. Again I dug into my bag, took out a bandage, and wrapped it around my leg. I was up standing again but decided hunting any more was out of the question.

I made my way home safely after gathering some leaves and was just outside Amanaki Town when I threw the bandage from around my leg into the bushes. I walked with a limp and approached the edge of the river. I bent down and sat on the banks, with the cut on my leg exposed. I reached forward into the water and cupped a handful of clear liquid to pour over my wound. It was warm and helped clear away the blood stains on my skin, so Dennis would not notice what I had done. My trousers, however, were stained and I began to pull them down to try and rinse the blood away from the faded grey material. I suddenly lifted my head as I heard a car coming. I was totally unaware of the time and looking at the height on the sun in the sky, I realised I should be home by now. I slid my wet trousers back on and lay flat on my front to stay out of sight from the car that was coming round the corner now, at a dangerously high speed. Suddenly it stopped. I heard some voices that were not like a Rakyat and my heart began to race, not with fear, but with adrenaline and excitement. I lifted my head just to see over the hill and before me, in the driver's seat of the car was a pirate. He wore a red t-shirt and shorts; both covered in sweat and dirt. I shot my head down again when he started to look towards the river. The second voice, I presume, was a man on the radio;

"Boss, I'm at the town you said I had to go to", he said, with his finger on a button to make his voice heard. I couldn't make out the other person's speech but just the volume. He replied.

"Sir you said Badtown and I am here". This time he looked confused and looked down at the radio to look at something. The man on the other end got louder and sounded annoyed.

"Sir, I made it to a Rakyat town-", he was interrupted with an order from his boss.

"It's on the other side of the island. It is getting dark". There was no answer and the pirate didn't know what to do. He sat further back into his seat and for a while he just stared ahead. I was holding back a cough and by now it was making my eyes water. I needed to get home but this stupid man was in my way. I was waiting for the engine to roar to life but it did not. I slowly rolled over onto my back so I could breathe in the cool air, in a hope to calm my throat. It did not work and I knew I had as long as two seconds until I had to cough. I grabbed my knife in the hope that it may defend me. I coughed and spluttered out my dusty breath. In unison, the engine roared to life and covered up any sound within 30 feet on the vehicle. A smile grew on my face when I knew I was finally safe. I heard the man in the car sigh and finally change gear to carry on. I looked up over the mound to see the man once more and he was gone, leaving a cloud of dirt in the air as the tyres rolled over the road. I sat up and breathed in more air to clear my throat again. I got to my feet, looked out over the river and grabbed my bag to head into Amanaki.

Down the road I could hear the car stop and it was started to reverse. I span around and sprinted towards the entrance of the town. I knew that if I was inside, I would be safe. I was just about to enter when something caught my top from behind. I struggled and exhaled loudly as I tried to unlatch the material from what must have been a tree. I turned around and before me was a tall, red tree. Its arms were big and toned; its stance was broad and overpowering. I screamed but it covered my mouth and pulled me towards him. The car behind him pulled up and the pirate in the front apologised.

"Why did you drive off you bastard?" yelled the man that held me. He started pushing me towards the car but I dug my heels into the ground to stop.

"I- Ugh" the pirate in the car stuttered. He jumped out and opened the back seat. He leaned in and pulled out a piece of rope and cloth.

"No excuses". I started to panic and tried as hard as I could to fight this monster.

"Good catch". It worked, but only a little and before I could comprehend the situation, my hands were tied behind my back.

"Boss will love her". The man holding me looked proud of his 'hunt' and looked into my eyes. I tried to look away but the hand on my mouth pulled my face to his and he laughed. He moved his hand away from my mouth and I let of a scream.

"Help me! Dennis!" I shouted. I could hear uproar in Amanaki but my head was now inside a bag and I was blinded. I heard fast footsteps but it got drowned out by the starting of the engine. I felt my feet leave the floor as I was lifted into the car. I was thrown into the backseat and my head hit something hard. The last image I saw of the pirate stayed in my thoughts and the ringing in my ears took over.

_What he did with women was unthinkable._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I awoke in a cell that was no bigger than 2 metres wide both ways. Everything was concrete except the roof which was made of the same material we used back home; leaves. I was on my back on the floor and I sat up. All of a sudden a sharp dagger of pain stabbed me in the head and I yelped out loud. The throbbing carried on as I lay back on the floor. I twisted and tried to get onto my side to see if the pain was more bearable in that position. I lifted my hand and touched my face to wipe away the sweat on my brow. When I brought my hand away, the back of it was covered in a dark red substance. I panicked and wiped again with my fingers this time; I could feel a small indentation where I had been struck in the car. The wound was still bleeding which meant I had not been asleep for long.

I slowly sat up, making sure the pain radiated as little as possible from my head. I waited for something to happen. Where had the pirates taken me? I could hear faint sounds of people outside through the thin walls but nothing I could understand. I trusted not to shout as I knew that no one would come and save me. I soon became agitated and tired; my eyelids were heavy and I wanted to sleep. I lay down on the hard floor and rested my head against the cold concrete. I had my eyes closed but I never feel asleep.

A loud bang startled me from outside. I quickly sat up which made me cry loudly. I heard a laugh from the other side of the door so I moved my hand up to cover my mouth from making any other sound. I looked up at the heavy door and waited to see it budge. Finally, it heaved open and on the other side of the door stood a man I had never seen before. He smiled down at me and I looked away.

"Hello" he said. I still kept my eyes down, staring at his feet. He was wearing heavy duty boots that had scuff marks all over them, and blood stained the laces that wound up his leg. He took a step towards me and I flinched slightly. He laughed again and continued to walk forward.

"I've got something for you". I swallowed and let out a breath. The distance between the door and the man was far enough now that I could get out and run as fast as I could. I had to think fast or else this man would grab me before I could escape.

I was as fast as I could be. The man blurred in my peripheral vision as I ran through the threshold. My heart pounded against my chest as it was not ready for the sprint. When I made it out of the prison I took a sharp turn left and ran straight forward. Huts surrounded my path and I knew I had to get off of the trail if I were to escape. I quick dash right between two small buildings lead me into a covered area. All the green foliage suddenly made me dizzy and the pain at the front of my brain started to scream out for attention. I staggered forward slightly but I pressed on. I clenched my teeth to help with the pain as I swerved through the forest.

I couldn't last any longer and my throat was bone dry. I slowed down and panicked about where to go. I looked around and focused on my hearing. In the distance, not far from where I was, I could hear running water. I headed in that direction and I knew that if I got to a river, I could follow it until it lead out of this place. I got to the opening and my need for water was incredible so I dived straight forward to the water edge. I swallowed handfuls of water and then splashed some on my forehead which made the pain ease and washed away the blood. I knew hanging around for too long would mean I wasn't safe so I stood up and followed along the bank downstream.

Before I had walked 5ft something hit the back of my head with a hard push and I turned around. A man stood completely still pointing a gun directly at my head. I froze and my head felt dizzy again. More pirates walked out of the jungle with guns on their hips. There were too many people this time and I knew I had failed. A man from behind the pirate shouted at him.

"Hey! Put your gun down!" The man had a Spanish accent and I continued to stand still, just moving my eyes to where I heard the voice. The pirate obeyed and stepped back, putting the gun to his side. I knew I could kick and disable him but with the majority of the pirates surrounding me, I understood it would be a bad idea.

"Chica! I see you tried to run away", he was now talking to me. I breathed and realised if I kept quiet it would be easier to hurt so I let my voice me heard.

"I could have done it, if your men hadn't been so aggressive". I looked up and he was walking towards me. He laughed and tilted his head to the right as if he was examining me. The sun shone bright down onto us all and it danced off of the water's surface. It wasn't the shine on the river that caught my attention. Instead it was something I had feared and dreamt of my entire life on Rock Island. As the man tilted his head he revealed a long and deep scar that ran from his left eyebrow across his shaved head and back until I couldn't see. His hair was a short black Mohawk that was shaved either side, but roughly done.

"I saw the damage! What bastards!" He exclaimed. He kept walking towards me and I stood my ground, crossing my arms over my chest. I looked down briefly and whipped my head so that a small piece of my fringe would go to where it should me. I was wearing a tight grey t-shirt that Dennis gave to me a few years ago but it was my favourite so I kept it. I was also wearing my trousers that had a great tear in them and I remembered the incident with the boar before I got captured, and a small poke in my thigh reminded me I still had a cut there. I looked back up and he was only 4ft at the most away from me.

"But don't worry; I'll take care of you…" He waited for me to reply with me name so I gave it to him.

"Jessica". I uncrossed my arms and put them to the side of me. I put my weight onto my left hip and bent my knee to make it more comfortable.

"Jessica". He smiled and stepped closer. He grabbed the part of my fringe that kept falling into my eyes and tucked it behind my ear. I tried not to flinch but instead stood up straight and smiled at him. He looked surprised and smiled back.

"You're going to be so much fun Hermana", said the man with the scar.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I was walking back into the camp that I had just run away from; but this time it felt different. We entered through a main path running through the middle of this crazed community of pirates. The men parted as I walked past rather than coming towards me but then I remembered the man that was walking beside my right shoulder. We carried on and I stared directly ahead. I needed to get some rest and my forehead needed to be treated. We had walking for 5 minutes in silence when we came to a hut that was much larger than the others. I assumed it belonged to Vaas and from what Dennis and Albeela had told me, I wouldn't want to go in there.

I stood still looking at the hut and Vaas walked past me, brushing his left shoulder against my right. I looked out of the corner of my eye, my head still facing forward, and watched as he came in front. He turned on one heel, opened his arms and gave a toothy grin; one side was higher than the other.

"Mi casa senorita", he said. I kept eye contact with him and he didn't seem impressed. His smile dropped and he stepped towards me. The smell of body odour tickled my nostrils and my eyes widened. He stood still and stared at me while I examined his face. He had dark circles under his eyes where he had been deprived of sleep; his facial hair was fine and sculpted his jawline, and the scar. It was old and the skin was loose around the cut, where it hadn't healed properly. It started just above his dark brown eyes, widened and thinned out the further back it went.

"Jessica. Hola? Hello? Anybody there?" I snapped out of the trance and was embarrassed that I had been staring at him for so long. He laughed and then stood on my left. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I looked over to him and saw the toned muscles in his arm. The grip he had on me was strong and I suddenly thought about what they had previously done.

"y tu casa". He stepped forward and I walked on too as his arm was still around me. We carried on walking till the entrance of his house, now apparently mine too. I took a deep breath and he turned to look at me. He shrugged and pushed open the door, leaving his hand there, allowing me to walk in. When I got inside, it wasn't all that grand. There was a double bed against one wall; the rest of the room was completely bare. There were three more doors, leading to extra rooms. One door was a small closet that held his clothes; another was a washroom, with just a simple shower in the corner. Then the last door led to a type of kitchen. It was just a room that had a sink in it, and cupboards. I didn't want to live here. He was interesting, but in a way that psychopaths are exciting. He was insane.

I walked out of the kitchen into the main room and Vaas had closed the front door. It must have been mid-afternoon and he was the leader of this camp, surely he needed to get on. He went over to his closest and bent down to pick up a small box on the floor.

"I can fix that for you", he said. He pointed at my head and I put my hand up to cover it, as if I didn't want him to see it.

"But first, have a wash. The shower has just been topped up with water." I turned around and looked at the door behind me. I turned back to Vaas and he was already retrieving a towel. He pushed it towards me in one hand and he touched it against my chest. I held up both my hands to grab it and I turned, walked forwards and went into the bathroom. I took off my clothes and placed them in the corner. I stood in the shower and turned it on; the water began to flow over my body. I looked down and saw blood on the floor. The cut on my leg looked infected so I looked away from it and focused on wiping the salty sweat from my face. Once I had rubbed all of my body, I turned the shower off. I grabbed the towel and began to dry my hair. I continued to dry the rest of my body and then wrapped it around myself while I stood and thought.

I was in a hut of a psychopath that I had been told stories of that include the harassment of women and the death of innocent people. While I had stood there, the blood from both my wounds had run in the water on my skin. I put my clothes back on walked out of the bathroom.

When I closed the door behind me, I turned around to see that no one was in the hut. Vaas had disappeared and I couldn't think about what to do. I walked over to the bed. I threw the towel at the foot of it and sat on the edge. I then fell and lay on my back, facing the ceiling. I had my eyes closed for a second when the door opened. Vaas walked in and over to me immediately.

"I see you didn't try and escape again?"

"Too tired. I'll try again tomorrow". I stayed lying down then the bed moved slightly. Vaas had sat down and so I sat up to be his level.

"You think you're funny Hermana?" He asked. He opened the small box and within it was a bandage and medicines. First he started treating my head, cleaning up the wound and pressing the bandage against it. He did his work it complete silence; I realised the question was rhetorical so I just stared up at him while he focused on the task. He also noticed the gash in my trousers but I closed my legs so he couldn't see it.

"That looks bad. Let me see Jessica". He looked at me and his hand fell upon my thigh. It moved across the top and I opened my legs to reveal the clearly infected scratch. He moved onto his knees on the floor and began to cover it up. I looked down at him and he looked back up.

"Terminado". He got to his feet and so did I. I had to tilt my head quite a bit to look up at him. He leant to get out a needle from the box. He handed it to me and our finger tips touched. I took it and stabbed it into my forearm; injecting the pain relief made a cold feeling run through my veins. He had cleared the box and towel away when he turned around back to me.

"Why are you like this?" I asked him. He looked confused.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Why do you kill people but make me better?"

"You're special Jessica". He put his hand on the side of my face and my cheek blushed. His face started coming closer and my heartbeat raised. Suddenly his big, soft lips were pressed against mine. His other hand grabbed mine and our fingers interlocked. He pulled away, but our hands were still together. I looked up at him and his smile was different. This time is was an evil grimace. He walked me to the head of the bed and I heard a click. His fingers left mine and I looked to where they had been. Around my wrist was a handcuff that was attached to the bedframe. Vaas stepped away from me and started to walk towards the door.

"You have all the information we need to know about the Rakyat Jessica. That's why you're special". He swiftly left the hut and I could hear his footsteps as he walked away.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I woke as the sun streamed in through the small window above my head. I was alone in the hut. I twisted my neck and it ached from the awkward position I had slept in; one arm above me. I lay there for a while. Just thinking. Imagine what Dennis and Albeela are thinking. Would they be angry? Would they be scared? Would the Rakyat be looking for me?

I sat up and faced towards the wall so my shoulder would get some rest. My stomach growled at me. It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't eaten since the day I got taken away and that mustn't have been less than a day ago. Vaas had taken all the hunger away from me.

Vaas. This man. I had known him for all my life in tales. He was the villain in all my nightmares. Now I met the real thing, he was the evil villain that you love. The one that intrigues you. Vaas was my villain in reality.

I waited for my villain to return but he didn't. People passed by the hut regularly but none of them were him. I got onto my knees and peered out of the window, looking out onto the camp. I could see a main square ahead of me. We came in from the south of the camp, and the square was westward. I was searching through the sea of red men to find mine. I couldn't see anything in particular until a scream caught my attention.

Coming from between two huts on the far side of the square, a man was pulling a woman by the hair. She screamed and dug her heals into the floor as the man pulled her out into the opening. I tried not to watch but curiosity took over. He kept pulling her and the girl now had an audience. The pirate pushed the woman to the floor and she feel face first into the dust. She turned onto her back to face the pirate who now had his gun pointing at her.

"Bitch! You are worthless. Hoyt doesn't want you. Vaas doesn't want you. You are too pathetic to even be used as a fuck doll!" The pirate yelled down at the women who cowered at every syllable he spat at her. Then, a gunshot made the birds fly from the trees. I snapped my eyes closed. Hastily, I opened them again. To my surprise, in the square the man that was shouting had now stopped and was lying on the floor with a bullet hole in his head. The girl had her hands over her head and she wept loudly, enough for everyone to hear.

Out from the left side of the square, Vaas wandered through the crowd with his gun still pointed with an outstretched arm. He was unnaturally calm and he let his muscles relax as his arm fell to his side. He kept walking until his feet were right beneath the girl's nose. She looked up at him, still shaking. He knelt down and his elbows rested on his thighs.

"Shh, sorry about that Hermana. He is crazy. Insane. Cuckoo". He put the gun he was still holding up to the side of his head and circled the air next to his ear with the barrel of the gun, rolling his eyes.

"You understand?" He tilted his head to one side. The girl was still a mess on the floor, lying beside the lifeless body of the recently deceased pirate.

"Hola? Wow, he was right to try and shoot you. Everything he said was true. But he didn't need to be so obvious about it. Besides, it's my job to do this". The girl looked up at him quickly and the smile that I saw last night grew on Vaas' face.

"Do what?" She asked. Before she could think another thing, the bullet from Vaas' gun was now inside her heart. He slowly moved his gaze from her head to directly in front of him. He waited for a minute and then snapped out of it. He put his gun in his holster and then spread his arms apart.

"Clear it up!" He shouted. 5 men ran towards the middle and helped move the bodies from the area. One man was holding the pirates torso in his arms when Vaas put one hand on his chest. What he said was inaudible but the man nodded and scuttled off with the body.

Vaas suddenly looked up at the hut and I shot my head down. I lay back down onto the bed and waited. The door flung open beside me and in my villain came. He turned and closed the door behind him. The scar about his eye glistened as sweat surrounded the ancient cut. His muscles were more pronounced than yesterday when I saw them; the adrenaline pumping through his veins must have enlarged his biceps. The adrenaline from a kill. I was staring at a killer. I was in a small hut, chained to a bed, and a murderer stood at the only exit.

"Enjoy that?" he asked. He looked up from his hands where he had been winding a bandage around his wrist. He waited for an answer so I spoke.

"You disgust me." I kept eye contact with him and he laughed loudly.

"That's not the impression I got last night." He sat down on the bed and put a hand on my thigh. He then lay beside me and placed his head on the pillow next to mine. He crossed his right leg over his left and lay quietly. His presence made my skin crawl, and being so close to him made me scared but I found comfort in it. I had never been so close to the option of death before. I could choose my fortune with this man and that made me feel inhuman. It made me feel like him.

"I'm hungry". I spoke up to break the silence before my stomach did and he sat up. Without speaking he left the hut and I sat up waiting for his return. He came quickly and in his hand was a banana and a bowl. The bowl contained a meat of some sort that was still warm. He watched as I ate but I didn't care.

"Done?" he asked. I handed him the bowl but he didn't take it. I let out a shrug and put it beside me.

"Now the fun begins," he said. I was about to ask what when he unlocked the chain from the bed. I was free. At last I could walk around and stretch my legs. I stood up and shook them and then rolled my shoulders.

"Not so fast Jessica" he said. He grabbed the chain and walked outside out the hut. I was on his leash. He walked forward and the warm sun touched my skin. He turned around to face me and walked backwards across the square.

"What a turnout!" he exclaimed. I turned my head and around was an audience of pirates. This time they were prepared with drink and they sat all facing the centre. A small concrete square was cemented to the floor and on it was a small loop. Vaas knelt down and passed the chain through it and locked it in place. I was chained to the floor in front of spectators, all waiting to see me, or rather what was going to happen to me.

"Showtime!" Vaas smiled down at me and winked before the crowd started to applause.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I remember when I turned ten. Albeela made me a homemade crown woven from reeds by the river. It is a Rakyat tradition to give a girl a crown on her tenth birthday to make her feel like a princess. It was the best night of my life. I was always left out by the rest of the children because I was different to them; I wasn't a true child of the Rakyat. That night I had all the attention focused on me and it felt good. People came together to celebrate my birthday and that's all that mattered because for once, I felt like royalty. But now was a time I didn't wish for attention.

I looked up at Vaas who was walking backwards to examine his prey. He kept his eyes locked on mine as the famous half smile crept on his face. I couldn't stand the darkness within them so I looked down at the floor. I shuffled my knees to try and get into a more comfortable position until the cool blade in Vaas' hand was under my chin. I stopped still on my hands and knees and the pirates let out a wave of laughter.

"Look at me," he ordered. My eyes slowly made their way up to meet his. The knife remained under my chin; pressed into my skin I could feel a small indentation becoming visible. He pushed the knife quickly upwards causing my neck to snap up, now with the skin on my neck taut. Vaas closed his eyes and when he opened them he was facing upwards, his hand still controlling the knife.

"This is Jessica. Everyone say hello," Vaas was enjoying the fact I couldn't move. In unison, the pirates replied with a dull "Hello Jessica". I rolled my eyes, looked back to the floor and sat on my heels. Vaas pushed the knife into my neck and I concealed the pain.

"Don't move," he told me. Slowly, I lifted my head, mocking his orders. He pushed the knife further into my neck and I could feel the blade enter my skin, my cover, my disguise. I felt vulnerable now more than I ever had. I squeezed my eyes shut to subside the pain.

"Have I failed to entertain you?" he said. I moved my eyes to look at his face to see his wide-eyed stare at my neck. I felt the blood bead at the open cut and slowly roll down my neck and to my vest where it stained the rim.

"What do you want to know?" I asked Vaas through clenched teeth. He stopped staring and moved his head to look me in the eye. His forehead shone with sweat as the afternoon sun rained down on us from above. Vaas narrowed his eyebrows and raised his hand. Before I could think about what he was going to do, he slapped my left cheek, leaving it stinging. He pointed to a pirate from behind me that I couldn't see and whistled. Suddenly, a piece of dirty cloth smothered my mouth and made me gag.

"Don't push me hermana. You are the golden treasure we found. You made it easy for us, just roaming around on the fucking street. I pity you for being so stupid for me to catch. You must be having the time of your life living here on this fucking island. White trash like you would die to live in paradise like this. Except you've found out it isn't quite paradise, is it? I hope your fucking Rakyat tribe love you, because you pretty little white girl look very expensive, and that's good because I like expensive things." All the while Vaas said this to me he was pacing from side to side. I was motionless beneath him until he stopped. I started shaking my head, trying to release the cloth from around my mouth. I couldn't get it to loosen and began to moan and try and speak.

"I'm sorry, what do you say? What did you say? Did you want me to shoot you in the head like I did your friend? Shut the fuck up, okay? I'm the one with the fucking dick. Look at me, look me in the fucking eye. Hey! You fuck! Look me in the eye!" He shouted this in my face while I felt tears forming in my eyes. It wasn't that he was offending me, it was just the harsh tone he used that stunned me. It was shocking to hear him dominating me. I looked up into his eyes and he finished; "You're my bitch. I rule this fucking kingdom. Shut the fuck up! Or you die." Now a tear rolled down my check but I kept my eyes locked on his.

"Hey man, get me the whip" he called to behind me. I closed my eyes slowly and opened them to face the ground. He didn't speak but I felt his shadow fall over me as he passed between me and the sun to reach out the collect the whip. He then circled to face in front of me. He took several steps back and examined me. I just kept staring at the dusty floor; I was not going to give in. Vaas stood 6 feet away from me and swayed backwards. Then he came forward and before I know it, I felt the steel toes of his leather boots impact against my chest and I heard a crack. I cried out in pain which was muffled by the cloth covering my mouth. I was picked up as his foot swung beneath me and threw me onto my side. I didn't travel far before the handcuffs around my wrists pulled back against the momentum of the kick and dug into my skin. I lay motionless until I saw Vaas' feet at my head. I closed my eyes but he wasn't going to kick again, however he knelt in front of me and looked down. He didn't speak and just stood back up. With his foot he pulled against my hip so I rolled onto my front with no resistance. I could see only the bottom half of his body when I looked forward and by his side appeared the whip. My body tensed as if to protect myself and my chest suddenly radiated pain throughout my body. I kept my muscles clenched, holding on through the pain. I heard the pirates around me getting excited; the odd abusive word was shouted followed by a couple of laughs. They were ready for the show. The curtain had opened and the orchestra began the prologue to my torture.

"Vaas," a voice called from the distance. It was clear and easy to understand. I heard a sigh from above me and saw the leather strands meet his leg. He spun on his heels to face the left of me. A cloud of dust gathered and made its way to my mouth, where I inhaled and coughed trying to get rid of the chalk from my lungs.

"Vaas, stop scaring the hostage. I need you to take care of the rejects". He left me lying in the middle of the square as around me the pirates began to disperse. He walked over and gave the whip to a pirate passing by. He stood and turned around to examine me. He came closer after standing in silence and removed the cloth from my mouth.

"You're a lucky little bitch" he said. He undid one handcuff to release me but held my wrist so I wouldn't run away. He pulled me as if to tell me to stand but gravity was pulling on my chest and the higher I got, the stronger it pulled, meaning more pain.

"Stand up you fuck" he said. I finally rose to my feet and was being pulled across the square, heading a different direction to his hut. I didn't speak but just left my feet to follow his path. We then stopped and I looked up to see a bamboo cage in front of me. He pushed me inside and let me fall to the floor. He then entered and grabbed my wrists, pulling me to the side of the cage. He took off the cuffs entirely and put them in his pocket. Then before my wrists could be soothed, my hands were above my head and being tied to the bamboo.

"You can return to mine once I have finished with you" he said. He left the cage and locked it. I watched the sun set through my eyelids.


End file.
